Wehrpass unit question.

[mtdr]

Hello,

I need some help with a wehrpass.

The guy was part of Panzerjager abteilung 711; 711 Infanterie Division, part of the 15. Armee, located east of the Orne in the area of the British airborne landing of the British 6th parachute division.

But in this wehrpass is a notice that he fought on the invasionsfront from 6.6.1944 till he was MIA as part of the 7. Armee. My question is why in his wehrpass is a entry that he fought with the 7. Armee but his unit was never part of this armee?

Are there any sources that this unit crossed the Orne on 6 june 1944 and fight as a unit/in the area of the 7. Armee? Or maybe parts of the abteilung(equipped with Pzkpfw B2(f), Pzkpfw 35R(f), Char B1 etc.) subordinated to the 716 Inf. or 21 PZ. who were fighting on the other side of the Orne?

I hope someone can help me with it.

Thanks and Best Regards,

Aram

[Ian Jewison]

I can not see reference to the Division being under 7 Armee at the moment.

711 Infanterie Division (bodenständig)

711. Infanteriedivision was another division that was intended to do little but hold the coast. Stationed at Cabourg, just northeast of Caen, they suffered heavy casualties while defending against the British at Sword Beach. Their casualties were so heavy that they were pulled out of the line to rebuild in Holland. The 711. ID was then transferred to the Eastern Front, where they surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/711th_I...ision_(Germany)


When and where was your guy killed?

/Ian

[mtdr]

Hello Ian, for me it was also a suprise to see the entry with "7 Armee". What I can see on the photo(but maybe you read something else) ;

6.6.1944 - 01.09.1944 Einsatz an der Invasionsfront in Frankreich im verband(Thanks to Ian Jewison!) der 7 Armee



My first thought was that elements of his Panzerjager kompanie 711(15 Armee) were attached to the 7th Armee immediatly after the invasion? But I can't find many information about this unit and can't find any evidence that they where attached to the 7 Armee(and where they fought). In special I search information about the first days after the invasion. The HQ of the kompanie was in Bonneville.

Normally the division was located between the Orne and the Dives and they don't fight directly at Sword Beach what I thought.

[Ian Jewison]

I read: Einsatz an der Invasionsfront in Frankreich vom (?) Verband der 7 Armee

Slightly different but still 7 Armee!!!

Perhaps the Kompanie was under 7 Armee, or the clerk filling in the Wehrpaß got it wrong?!!!

When back at home I will try and look through my references for anything different!

/Ian

[mtdr]

I found some information on the internet about the 21 PD. What I can see on 6 june 1944 some parts of the 711 were attached to the 21 Panzer Division under controle of the AOK 7. Of all units from the 711 the Panzerjägers were most usefull I think with it's Pzkpfw B1(f),Pzkpfw 35R(f) and 10 Marder I.

Zu dem Einsatz der 21. PD am 6.6.1944 folgendes:

11.25 Generalstab AOK7 bittet um Unterstützung durch 711.ID auf dem Ostufer der Orne, Ablehnung durch Ib des AOK 15
11.30 Marinegruppenkommando und OB West sind nach Tel. der Meinung, dass es sich um die invasion handele. Von OB WEST wird Marschbereitschaft für die beiden PD (21. und 12.SS) angekündigt.
12.00 Lageorietierung bei AOK7 und erneute Bitte um Unterstützung durch 711.ID
13.15 lt. KTB erneute Ablehnung erreicht AOK7
14.30 AOK15 teilt HG mit, dass Bereinigung ostlich der Orne noch heute notwendig erscheint. HG erweist auf die zu erwartende Freigabe der 12. SS-PD.
15.40 Marschbefehl 21. PD bestätigt.

"It is also mentioned that the Pionier-Zug of
StuG-Abteilung 200 took some stragglers from 711. Infanterie-
Division under their wing from 7th June."

This could explain why he was till september 1944 in the 7. Armee and not under the 15. Armee as the rest of his division?

[Ian Jewison]

Sounds good Aram!

This happened quite a lot of the time but it's finding the proof that is difficult!

Now you have got me thinking......I have a Soldbuch to a member of this unit which was later called Stug. Abt. 711 or 1711.

Will check this out when I get home....he was wounded around a similar time!

/Ian

[mtdr]

Nobody who can give more information?

He received on 03.08.1944 his EK II in Normandy; he was also trained with 3 types of PAK. He was missed since 01.09.1944 and is not listed on the Volksbund so I think he was taken POW that day.